The first coins appear in Lydia

The kingdom of Lydia struck some of the earliest known coins from electrum, a natural gold and silver alloy. Stamped coins made trade easier by guaranteeing weight.

Date is approximate.

Context

The earliest coins are usually dated to the late seventh or early sixth century BCE in western Anatolia, in the area of Lydia and nearby Greek cities. Dating is difficult because most early finds come from a temple deposit at Ephesus and from other sites with imprecise layers, which is why historians use a range and not a single year.

Electrum is a naturally occurring mix of gold and silver found in the region's rivers. Because the proportion of gold varied, early electrum coins were not always of equal value, and their stamps mainly guaranteed the weight and the authority of the issuer. Later Lydian rulers, traditionally including King Croesus, are credited with producing coins of nearly pure gold and silver.

Coinage soon spread to the Greek world and the Persian Empire. Money in other forms, such as weighed silver and commodity currencies, existed earlier in Mesopotamia and Egypt, so Lydia is best described as an early home of stamped coinage, not of money itself.

Archaeologists continue to study early coin hoards and temple deposits to refine the chronology, so the date may be adjusted as new finds are published.